Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [304]
The little-travelled provinces east of the Red River Valley also deserve attention, especially the stunning scenery and mountain people in the border area of Ha Giang and Cao Bang provinces. The northeast region also features Ba Be National Park, where Vietnam’s largest natural lake hides among forested limestone crags and impenetrable jungle. Not surprisingly, infrastructure throughout the northern mountains is poor: facilities tend to be thin on the ground, and some roads are in terrible condition. However, this area is becoming increasingly popular with tourists as Hanoi’s tour agents organize new tours and independent travellers venture into uncharted terrain by jeep or motorbike.
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The far north |
Highlights
Trekking around Sa Pa A hugely popular activity, offering great views of the landscape as well as the chance to spend time with the colourfully dressed montagnards.
Weekend markets Bac Ha and Can Cau weekend markets are full of Flower Hmong, perhaps the most dazzling dressers in the country. See also "Restaurants"
Thai minority villages Around Mai Chau visitors can stay in Thai stilthouses and see shows of traditional dancing.
Ha Giang Gateway to the country’s northernmost and wildest province, where the scenery is simply stunning.
Ba Be Lake A laidback spot, where you can either glide around in a boat on its glassy waters, or trek to minority villages near its shore. (See "Ba Be National Park")
The landscape around Sa Pa is great for trekking
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The far north |
Some recent history
Remote uplands, dense vegetation and rugged terrain suited to guerrilla activities, plus a safe haven across the border, made this region the perfect place from which to orchestrate Vietnam’s independence movement. For a short while in 1941, Ho Chi Minh hid in the Pac Bo Cave on the Chinese frontier, later moving south to Tuyen Quang Province, from where the Viet Minh launched their August Revolution in 1945. These northern provinces were the first to be liberated from French rule, but over in the northwest some minority groups, notably from among the Thai, Hmong and Muong, supported the colonial authorities and it took the Viet Minh until 1952 to gain control of the area. Two years later, they staged their great victory over the French at Dien Bien Phu, close to the Laos border.
During the late 1970s Sino-Vietnamese relations became increasingly sour for various reasons, not least Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia. Things came to a head on February 17, 1979 when the Chinese sent 200,000 troops into northern Vietnam, destroying most of the border towns: seventeen days later, however, the invasion force was on its way home, some 20,000 short. Though much of the infrastructural and political damage from the war has been repaired, unmarked minefields along 1000km of frontier pose a more intractable problem: most areas – including all which regularly receive tourists – have been cleared and declared safe, but in the more remote areas it’s sensible to stick to well-worn paths.
The far north |
Getting around
The mountains of northern Vietnam remain relatively unexplored, largely because of the limited road network and the difficulties of getting around by public transport. Even major highways are little more than single-track, though roads are continuing to improve. It is possible to do a complete loop of the northwest with no backtracking, linking Sa Pa, Lai Chau, Dien Bien Phu, Son La and Mai Chau. By cutting across from Sa Pa or Bac Ha to Ha Giang, the northwest route can be combined with a tour of the northeast that takes in Ha Giang, Ba Be Lake, Cao Bang and Lang Son.
Travelling through the northern provinces using local buses is possible, though uncomfortable: renting a vehicle gives you more freedom to stop at villages